Automatic starter for vapor apparatus.



No. 794.745. V PATENTED JULY 18. 1905.

' M. 'VON RBOKLINGHAUSEN.

AUTOMATIC STARTER FOR VAPOR APPARATUS. APPLICATION rum) DEO. -13. 1904.

mnnzw a, GRAHAM 00., umosmmzas, WASHINGTON, o. o.

- UNITED STATES Patented July 18,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MAX VON RECKLINGHAUSEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC STARTER FOR V'APOR APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,745, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed December 13,1904. Serial No. 236,670-

To (I/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX VON REOKLING- HAUSEN, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of 2 Norfolk street, Strand, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Starters for Vapor Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means whereby a vapor apparatus, such as amercuryvapor lamp, may be automatically tilted for starting purposes and may afterward be operated in the usual way. The tilting operation serves to bring into contact the terminals or electrodes of the apparatus through a stream of conducting liquid, such as mercury, and to provide for the breaking up of the continuity of the conducting stream to start the apparatus into operation.

In carrying out my invention I suspend the lamp or other vapor device so that it will normally be tilted far enough to prevent connection between the electrodes through the mer cury or other liquid, and I provide means for lifting the lower end of the device so as to cause such connection and then for lifting it still further to break the connection. By the rupture of the continuous connection thus established and thus broken the lamp or other device is made to start, the current flowing through the widening column of vapor as the mercury or other liquid recedes after the initial rupture. For convenience I shall describe it in connection with a mercury-vapor lamp.

The diagram accompanying this specification shows a set of devices which may be emthe end containing the electrode 2-an excess of mercury may stand while the lamp is in its inoperative position. The object of this will be explained later on. The lamp may be suspended by clips4 4 from a rod 5, which is itself pivoted through a lug 6 to any suitable support 7 An armature 8 is connected by a link 9 to the rod 5 and is located in operative relation to a coil 10, having a core 11. The core 11 may be dispensed with, and the coil may be a simple solenoid, although I prefer to provide the coil with a core. At its remote end the coil is connected to one'arm 12 of a switch 13, while at its nearer end the said coil is connected by a conductor 14 to the movable element 15 of a cut-out 16. A shuntcircuit around said cut-out extends to the electrode 2 and includes a magnet-coil 17 which is in operative relation to the movable element 15 of the switch or cut-out 16. The stationary element 18 of the said cut-out is connected through a resistance 19 with the opposite arm 20 of the switch 13. The resistance 19 acts as a regulating-rheostat and is connected by a conductor 21 with the electrode 3, means being provided whereby the terminal of the conductor 21 may be connected to the resistance 19 at any one of a number of points. The normal position of the lamp is that shown in full lines in the diagram. In order to start the lamp into operation, the switch 13 is operated so as to close the circuit of the main conductors 22 and 23, whereupon current flows from the mains by way of the resistance 19, the contacts 15 and 18, (which are normally together,) the coil 10, and the other side of the switch back to line. The coil 10 is thus energized and the armature 8 is attracted. causing a lifting effect upon the lefthand end of the rod 5, carrying the lamp with it. A full movement of the armature 8 carries the lamp into the position illustrated in dotted lines, which is the operating position of the lamp. During the passage from fullline position to dotted-line position the excess of mercury in the left-hand end of the lamp flows at or about the horizontal position fromone end of the lamp to the other, forming a.

conducting connection between the electrodes. A circuit is thus formed in shunt to the original circuit described above, the shunt-circuit comprising the conductor 21, theelectrode 3, the mercury-path, the electrode 2, the magnet 17, and the coil 10. By the energization of the magnet 17 through the closure of this shunt-circuit the element 15 of the cut-out 16 is removed from contact with the element 18 thereof, and the original circuitis thus broken. Inasmuch, however, as the coil 10 is common to both the main and the shunt circuits, the armature 8 will remain attracted, and the lamp will be held in the position indicated by dotted lines. Meanwhile the mercury connection between the electrodes will have been broken, and the lamp will have been started into operation. It will remain in operation until the switch 13 is operated to break the main circuit. By a suitable adjustment of the connections at the rheostat 19 as much or as little of the resistance of the said rheostat as may be necessary or desirable may be included in the main operating-circuit.

It will be seen that the coil 10 under the illustrated arrangement remains in series with the lamp as an inductive resistance. It will, however, be understood that this is not a necessary feature of the invention and that, if desired, a special magnet may be used for lifting the lamp into operative position, and special means may be provided for retaining it in that position.

I claim as my invention 1. A vapor device comprising a movable container, normally separated electrodes or contacts in said container and included in the main operating-circuit of the device, one of such electrodes being a conducting liquid, and automatic means for moving the container so as to make and break conductive connection between the said electrodes.

2. A vapor device comprising a movable container, normally separated electrodes or contacts in said container and included in the main operating-circuit of the device, a conducting liquid or fluid in said container, and automatic means for moving the container so as to make and break conductive connection between the said electrodes.

3. A vapor device comprising a movable container, the said device being adapted to operate in a'position other than horizontal, normally separated electrodes, and a conducting liquid in said container included in the main operating-circuit of the device, and automatic means for tilting the device so as to make and break conducting connection between the electrodes.

4. A mercury vapor lamp comprising a movable container for mercury, normally sep aratedelectrodes in said container included in the main operating-circuit of the lamp, and automatic means for moving the container so as 6. A mercury-vapor lamp comprising a movable container for mercury, the said lamp being normally tilted from a horizontal position and being adapted to operate in an inclined position, and automatic means for tilting the lamp so as to make and break metallic connection between the electrodes.

7. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container for mercury, normally separated electrodes in said container, and included in the main operating-circuit of the device, and means operated by the main current adapted to move said container so as to make and break metallic connection between the electrodes.

8. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container for mercury, normally separated electrodes in said container, and included in the main operating-circuit of the device, and means operated by the main current adapted to move said container so as to make and break metallic connection between the electrodes, and to maintain the rupture of the internal circuit of the device through the mercury until the main current is interrupted.

9. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container for mercury, normally separated electrodes in said container, and included in the main operating-circuit of the device, and automatic means for moving the container so as to make and break metallic connection between said electrodes, such means including a magnet-coil in series with the device, whereby the said coil acts as an inductive resistance in the main circuit.

10. The combination with a mercury-vapor device comprising a suitable container and electrodes therein, of ashunt to the said device including cut-out terminals and a magnet-coil,- a main circuit including the said coil, means operated by the closure of the shunt-circuit for starting the device, and means operated by the closure of the main circuit for opening the cut-out.

11. The combination with a mercury-vapor device comprising a suitable container and a container and electrodes therein, of a shunt to the said device including cut-out terminals and a magnet-coil, a main circuit including the said coil, and means operated by' the closure of the shunt-circuit for moving the container so as to start the device.

13. The combination with a mercury-vapor device occupying an inclined position and suitably pivoted, the said device comprising a container and electrodes therein, of a shunt to the said device including cut-out terminals and a magnet-coil, a main circuit including the said coil, and means operated by the closure of the shunt-circuit for moving the container so as to start the device, the said coil being common to both the main circuit and the shunt-circuit.

14:. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container occupying in its inoperative position an inclined position on one side of the horizontal and capable of being moved into an inclined position on the opposite side.

of the horizontal, suitable electrodes in the container, and automatic means for tilting the device so as to make and break metallic connection between the electrodes.

15. A mercury-vapor device comprising a centrally-pivoted container capable of occupying inclined positions in opposite relations to the horizontal, electrodes in said container, and automatic means for tilting the device so as to make and break metallic connection between the electrodes.

16. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container occupying in its inoperative position an inclined position on one side of the horizontal and capable of being moved into an inclined position on the opposite side of the horizontal, suitable electrodes in the container, and automatic means for tilting the device so as to make metallic connection between the electrodes.

17. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container occupying in its inoperative statea position at an angle With the horizontal, electrodes in said container, and means for tilting the container into an inclined position on the opposite side of the horizonal so as to make and break connection between the electrodes for starting the device.

18. A mercury-vapor device comprising a movable container occupying in its inoperative state a position at an angle with the horizontal, electrodes in said container, and means for tilting the container into an inclined position on the opposite side of the horizontal and for retaining the device in the second inclined position.

Signed at 53A Chancery Lane, London, Great Britain, this 30th day of November, A. D. 1904.

MAX VON REOKLINGHAUSEN.

Witnesses:

A. A. BERGIN, W. J. SKERTEN. 

